Recipe-in-a-Flash: Chocolate-Hazelnut-Banana Bread

Chocolate + bananas + nuts are always a good combination. When that chocolate-nut pairing is Nutella, well, you've just ramped up the whole banana bread game!

Just look at all that swirly Nutella goodness!

pre-baking

just out of the oven

This recipe, from NYT/Cooking, is easy and delicious. My one change would be to add MORE Nutella (no such thing as too much Nutella, right?). I didn't feel the hazelnut flavor was big enough. I might also add some actual nuts for crunch and texture. 

With those additions, this recipe is a keeper! Add it to your banana bread file and let me know what you think. Happy baking!

Ingredients

1/2 C unsalted butter (1 stick) plus more for greasing the pan

2 C all-purpose flour plus more for flouring the pan

1 t baking soda

3/4 t Kosher salt

1-1/2 C mashed bananas, from about 3 medium bananas

2/3 C granulated sugar

1/4 C plain Greek yogurt

2 eggs

1 t vanilla extract

1/3 C chocolate-hazelnut spread, like Nutella

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter & flour a 9x5x3" loaf pan.
2. Stir the flour, baking soda, & salt together in a bowl.
3. Brown butter: melt butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Book butter, occasionally scraping the bottom & sides of the pan with a rubber spatula until it turns a deep golden brown and smells nutty. Don't walk away from the pan during this process. The butter will go from browned and nutty to acrid and burnt in moments. Transfer butter to a large heat-safe mixing bowl & let it cool slightly.
4. When the butter has cooled a bit, add the mashed bananas, sugar, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined, then add the flour mixture & stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
5. Pour half the batter into prepared pan & spread it evenly with a knife or offset spatula. Spoon half the chocolate-hazelnut spread in several dollops over the top & use a toothpick or skewer to swirl it into the batter. Spoon & spread the remaining batter over the top followed by dollops of the remaining spread. Swirl in the spread, then bake the bread for 55-60 minutes, or until golden brown & a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Recipe from NYT/Cooking